The Fight to Feel Better: Why I’m Finally Sharing My Story
The Fight to Feel Better: Why I’m Finally Sharing My Story
Hi, I’m Rachael — and this blog has been a long time coming. I used to think these kinds of blogs were “cringe,” but now I think it is one of the kindest things someone can do for themselves to express themselves and their story.
I live with diagnoses such as fibromyalgia (chronic pain, fatigue, and brain fog/nervous system dysfunction), multiple sleep disorders, hypermobility, MCAS, SVT, and more. And like so many people with chronic illness, I didn’t get here with a clear roadmap or a helpful diagnosis. I got here after years of being bounced between specialists, misdiagnosed, dismissed, and told “everything looks fine.” it is hard to even express in words how deeply and utterly painful it is to not be given the help or resources I’ve needed in order to survive the cards I’ve been dealt and also to not fall into deep victim mentality, and want to just throw in the towel.
I’ve seen cardiologists, neurologists, rheumatologists, endocrinologists, gynecologists, ENTs, sleep doctors, physical therapists, pain specialists, holistic providers — you name it. Some were compassionate. Others? Not so much.
I’ve been told I was “just anxious.”
That I should “try yoga.”
That my symptoms were “weird” or “rare” or “not textbook.”
And I’ve had to advocate for myself in rooms where no one seemed to be listening.
But after all that? I’m still here. Still learning how to be my own health advocate. Still blending Western medicine with holistic tools. Still doing the trial-and-error dance. Still hoping. Still trying. Still fighting to feel better.
And that’s what this blog is — a space for the in-between.
Not healed, not hopeless — just human.
Beyond the medical chaos, I’m also a student, a social media marketer, and a woman of faith who deeply loves animals, food, the ocean, , and learning new things (with a little help from AI now and then). I’m newly engaged to a man who’s supported me through all of it — the flares, the fatigue, the fights with insurance companies, and the days I couldn’t get out of bed.
This space isn’t here to offer quick fixes or polished advice. It’s here to tell the truth.
About pain. About healing. About being sick in a world that expects you to “push through.”
If you’re reading this and nodding along — welcome. You’re not alone.
Thanks for being here.
